Triangle Top Assembly with Adjustable Level of Coverage

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are padded triangle assemblies for upper body garments that can be widened or narrowed to adjust coverage level. Each triangle assembly includes a pad underneath a layer of outer fabric. An upper region of the pad is attached to an upper region of the outer fabric. The pad has a thin lower flange that is attached to a lower region of the outer fabric. The lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange of the pad. In a narrowed configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned close to the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad. In a widened configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned farther from the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/718,148, filed Aug. 13, 2018, which is incorporated by reference inits entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

A “triangle top” is an upper portion of a two-piece swimsuit havingseparate left and right triangular assemblies. Typically, a string (orband, in some cases) extends upward from the top of each triangularassembly to secure the triangle top around the wearer's neck. A lowerstring or band attaches to the lower portion of each triangular assemblyand extends around the wearer's back.

Some triangle assemblies include a horizontal sleeve extending along thelower portion. The lower string or band extends through the horizontalsleeve, under the breasts, and continues around the back of the wearer.This drawstring-like attachment allows the wearer to adjust the level ofcoverage provided by each triangle assembly. The lower portion can bewidened or narrowed by sliding it along the lower band or string,providing more or less coverage as needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some swimsuit tops use padding in order to shape the wearer's breasts,provide additional coverage, and generally increase the wearer'sconfidence. Removable pads are common but can be cumbersome for thewearer as they must be carefully positioned between an inner liner andouter fabric, and can become dislodged, misshapen and/or misplacedduring washing. Pads can alternatively be permanently attached to theswimsuit fabric. Incorporating permanent pads into a triangle swimsuittop has conventionally sacrificed the benefit of adjustability along thehorizontal sleeve because the pad is either stitched to the sleeve or isotherwise too large to permit narrowing of the outer layer of fabric.The triangle assemblies disclosed herein address this problem byproviding a pad that is narrower than the horizontal sleeve in themedial to lateral direction. The pad is secured to the upper and lowerregions of the outer fabric without sacrificing the adjustability of theleft and right sides of the outer fabric.

The upper body garments disclosed herein include left and right triangleassemblies. Each triangle assembly includes a pad having an upperregion, a middle region, and a lower flange that is thinner than theupper region and the middle region in a front to back direction. Eachtriangle assembly further includes an outer fabric having an upperregion, a middle region, and a lower region. The upper region of the padis at least partially attached to the upper region of the outer fabric,and the lower flange of the pad is at least partially attached to thelower region of the outer fabric. The lower region of the outer fabricis wider than the lower flange in a medial to lateral direction. In someembodiments, a vertical center portion of the pad is aligned with avertical center portion of the outer fabric.

In some embodiments, the lower flange of the pad is fixedly attached tothe middle region of the pad. The lower flange can extend inferiorlyfrom the middle region of the pad at an angle of greater than zerodegrees. A lower boundary of the middle region of the pad can be curvedacross the exterior face of the pad, with the lower flange extendinginferiorly from the curve. The exterior face of the pad can be convexand include an apex. The pad can be thicker (in a front to backdirection) at the apex than at the left or right edges of the pad.

In some embodiments, the width of the lower region of the outer fabricis at least 25% greater than the width of the lower flange. The surfacearea of an exterior face of the pad can be smaller than the surface areaof an exterior face of the outer fabric. The left and right sides of theupper region of the pad can be partially attached to the left and rightsides of the upper region of the outer fabric at left and right sideattachments, respectively. The left and right side attachments canextend downward from an upper end of the pad. The left and right edgesalong the middle region of the pad can be unattached to the outerfabric. The lower flange of the pad can be attached to the lower regionof the outer fabric along a seam.

Each of the left and right triangle assemblies can include a lowersleeve at least partially defined by the outer fabric. In someembodiments, a liner fabric can be attached to the outer fabric. Thelower sleeve can be defined by both the outer fabric and a liner fabric.A lower string, or band, can extend through the lower sleeve of the leftand right triangle assemblies. The pad can be positioned between theouter fabric and the liner fabric. The liner fabric can be attached tothe pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange. The lowerflange of the pad can be attached to the lower sleeve along a seam, andthe lower sleeve can extend beyond the lower flange in both lateraldirections.

Disclosed herein are methods of making upper body garments withadjustable left and right triangle assemblies. The methods includeproviding an outer fabric panel having upper and lower regions, andproviding a pad having an upper region and a lower flange. The lowerregion of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in a medial tolateral direction. The methods further include at least partiallyattaching the upper region of the pad to the upper region of the outerfabric panel, and at least partially attaching the lower flange of thepad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel. Some methods caninclude aligning a vertical center portion of the pad with a verticalcenter portion of the outer fabric panel. Some methods can includefixedly attaching the lower flange of the pad to the middle region ofthe pad.

Some embodiments of the methods of making upper body garments withadjustable left and right triangle assemblies include partiallyattaching left and right sides of the upper region of the pad to leftand right sides of the upper region of the outer fabric panel. The leftand right sides along the middle region of the pad can be leftunattached to the outer fabric panel. The methods can further includeattaching the lower flange of the pad to the lower region of the outerfabric panel (for example, along a seam). Some embodiments includecreating a lower sleeve that is at least partially defined by the outerfabric panel, and extending a lower band through the lower sleeve of theleft and right triangle assemblies.

Some embodiments of the methods include attaching a liner fabric panelto the outer fabric panel and positioning the pad between the outerfabric panel and the liner fabric panel. The liner fabric panel can beattached to the pad at the upper region of the pad and at the lowerflange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of a wearer wearing the upper bodygarment with each triangle assembly in a widened position.

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of a wearer wearing the upper bodygarment with each triangle assembly in a narrowed position.

FIG. 2A illustrates an exterior view of a left triangle assembly in awidened position.

FIG. 2B illustrates an exterior view of a left triangle assembly in anarrowed position.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exterior view of a pad of a triangle assembly.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the pad of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates an interior view of a left triangle assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This description refers to certain aspects of the garment relative toother aspects of the garment or to the body of a wearer. As used herein,superior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's head.Inferior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's feet.Upward, upper, or uppermost indicates a superior direction, or toward awearer's head. Downward, lower, or lowermost indicates an inferiordirection, or toward a wearer's feet. The longitudinal direction refersto an axis extending between the superior and inferior edges of thegarment, or between the wearer's head and feet. Lateral indicates apositioning that is closer to the sides of the wearer. Medial indicatesa positioning that is farther from the sides of the wearer. The termsright and left are in reference to the wearer's body. Some figures mayinclude the directional indicators L and R to indicate the orientationwith respect to the left side of the wearer's body and the right side ofthe wearer's body, respectively.

The terms “about” and “approximately” are defined as being “close to” asunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In one non-limitingembodiment the terms are defined to be within 10%. In anothernon-limiting embodiment, the terms are defined to be within 5%. In stillanother non-limiting embodiment, the terms are defined to be within 1%.

The upper body garment is described as a swimsuit in the followingdisclosure. However, this is only one example embodiment, and is meantto provide context to the reader. The disclosure is not meant to belimited to swimsuits. Other types of upper body garments (including, butnot limited to: brassieres, shirts, camisoles, and shapewear) may alsobenefit from the concepts disclosed herein. Furthermore, the disclosureis not limited to a particular type of swimsuit top.

The triangle assemblies of the upper body garments disclosed hereinprovide padding without sacrificing adjustability. An example upper bodygarment is shown in FIG. 1A. The upper body garment 1 includes a lefttriangle assembly 3 and a right triangle assembly 5. The triangleassemblies 3, 5 can be widened to provide increased coverage, as shownin FIG. 1B. FIG. 2A shows a front view of a left pad 7 underneath theouter fabric 8 of a left triangle assembly 3 with the outer fabric 8 inthe widened position. FIG. 3 shows the pad 7 alone, without the outerfabric 8. As shown in FIG. 2A, the outer fabric 8 has an upper region15, a middle region 17, and a lower region 19. As shown in FIG. 3, thepad 7 has an upper region 9, a middle region 11, and a thin lower flange13 that extends inferiorly from the middle region 11 of pad 7. The upperregion 9 of the pad 7 is at least partially attached to the upper region15 of the outer fabric 8. The lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is at leastpartially attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8. Thevertical center portion 21 of the pad is aligned with the verticalcenter portion 23 of the outer fabric 8. The lower region 19 of theouter fabric 8 is wider than the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 in amedial to lateral direction. The left side 25 and the right side 27 ofthe lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 can be moved into a wideconfiguration as shown in FIG. 2A, or into a narrow configuration wherethe left and right sides 25, 27 of the lower region 19 are closer to thesides of the lower flange 13 as shown in FIG. 2B. Left pad 7 is shown inthe figures described above, but it should be understood that sameconcepts would apply to the right pad of the right triangle assembly 5.The right pad has a shape that is an approximate mirror image of theleft pad 7.

FIG. 3 shows pad 7 alone, without the outer fabric. A vertical crosssection of pad 7 is shown in FIG. 4. The cross section is taken alongthe vertical line in FIG. 3 labeled “FIG. 4.” The lower flange 13 isfixedly attached to the middle region 11 of the pad by, for example,stitching, bonding, adhesives, thermal treatments, or chemicaltreatments. In some embodiments, the lower flange 13 is formed as anintegral part of the pad 7, by, for example, a molding process. Thelower boundary 29 of the middle region 11 of the pad 7 curves across theexterior face of the pad 7, with the left and right sides of the lowerboundary 29 pointing upward. This curved lower boundary 29 is adapted tofit the shape of a breast, thereby eliminating gaps that may causediscomfort or bulging of the material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lower flange 13 of pad 7 is thinner in the frontto back direction than the upper region 9 or the middle region 11 of thepad 7. In the final construction, the lower flange 13 will be layeredwith the lower sleeve 43 of the outer fabric 8 and the lower band 45that extends through the lower sleeve 43 (described in greater detailbelow). The thinning of the lower flange 13 with respect to the upperand middle regions 9, 11 of the pad 7 increases wearer comfort byreducing bulk that would otherwise result from layering the lower flange13 with the additional layers of fabric. As further shown in FIGS. 3 and4, the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 is convex and comprises an apex 35.The pad thins as it approaches left and right edges 37, 39, such thatthe thickness of pad 7 at apex 35 is greater than the thickness of pad 7along its left edge 37 or its right edge 39. The right edge 39 of theleft pad 7 is the medially positioned edge that extends along thewearer's neckline. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature alongmedially positioned 39 is smaller than the radius of curvature along thelaterally positioned edge 37 of the pad (i.e., the curve along theneckline edge is sharper than the curve along the lateral edge). Thedifference in the degree of curvature between the medial and lateralsides of the pad promotes a better fit to the breast of the wearer.

The lower flange 13 extends inferiorly from the middle region 11. Insome embodiments, the lower flange 13 creates an angle a with middleregion 11, as shown in FIG. 4. The angle a is greater than 0 degrees,and, in some embodiments, the angle a can be anywhere from about 5 toabout 75 degrees (including, for example, about 5 degrees, about 15degrees, about 25 degrees, about 35 degrees, about 45 degrees, about 55degrees, about 65 degrees, and about 75 degrees). The lower flange 13extends at an angle a in order to lie flat against the wearer's body,below the breast, and to facilitate its attachment to the lower sleeve43. It also provides extra support to cradle the breast, keeping it inplace and providing some lift.

As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the lower region 19 of the outer fabric8 is wider than the lower flange 13 in a medial to lateral direction.The left side 25 of the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 can be movedtoward or away from the left side 26 of the lower flange 13 to adjustthe level of coverage on the wearer's lateral side. The right side 27 ofthe lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 can be moved toward or away fromthe right side 28 of the lower flange 13 to adjust the level of coverageon the wearer's medial side. The width of the lower flange 13 can bemeasured along the lower edge 31 of the lower flange 13, whereas thewidth of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 can be measured alongthe lower edge 33 of the outer fabric 8. In some embodiments, the widthof the lower region 19 of the outer fabric is at least 25% greater thanthe width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments, the width of theouter fabric is from 25% greater to 500% greater than the width of thelower flange 13, including about 25% greater, about 50% greater, about75% greater, about 100% greater, about 125% greater, about 150% greater,about 175% greater, about 200% greater, about 225% greater, about 250%greater, about 275% greater, about 300% greater, about 325% greater,about 350% greater, about 375% greater, about 400% greater, about 425%greater, about 450% greater, about 475% greater, and about 500% greaterthan the width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments, the width ofthe lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is from about 50% to about300% greater than the width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments,the width of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is from about100% to about 200% greater than the width of the lower flange 13.

In some embodiments, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of the pad7 is smaller than the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outerfabric 8 (with the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outerfabric 8 measured with the left and right sides 25, 27 of the lowerregion 19 of outer fabric 8 in a fully-extended position as shown inFIG. 2A). For example, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of thepad 7 can be from 10% to 90% of the surface area of the exterior face 36of the outer fabric, including about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%,about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, andabout 90% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outerfabric. In some embodiments, the surface area of the exterior face 34 ofthe pad 7 can be from about 25% to about 75% of the surface area of theexterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8. In some embodiments, the surfacearea of the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 can be from about 40% to about50% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8.

FIG. 5 shows an interior view of a triangle assembly 3, showing linerfabric 41. Liner fabric 41 is attached to the outer fabric 8 at or nearthe lower edge 33 of outer fabric 8, along the right side 27 of lowerregion 19 of the outer fabric 8, along the left side 25 of lower region19 of the outer fabric 8, and at or near the edges of the upper region15 of the outer fabric 8. Pad 7 is positioned between the outer fabric 8and the inner liner fabric 41, and is not visible in FIG. 5. Linerfabric 41 can include one or more darts 42, as shown in FIG. 5. Lowersleeve 43 is an elongated tubular structure formed of fabric. The lowersleeve 43 can be formed by extending the lower region 19 of outer fabric8 past lower flange 13, folding the lower region 19 upward, andattaching the lower region 19 of the outer fabric to the inner linerfabric 41 along horizontal seam 44. Alternatively, the lower sleeve 43can be formed by stitching the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 toinner liner fabric 41 along two separate rows of stitching, therebycreating a horizontally extending lower sleeve 43. Some embodiments maynot include a liner fabric 41. In such an embodiment, the interiorsurface of the pad 7 is configured to directly contact the wearer, andmay have a surface coating or be covered in a fabric to improve comfort.A lower sleeve 43 may still be formed without a liner fabric by foldingthe lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 around the lower flange 13 andsecuring it to the inside of the pad 7. In some embodiments, the outerfabric 8 is shirred in the lower region 19. The lower region 19 of theouter fabric 8 may be shirred above horizontal seam 44, below horizontalseam 44 (along lower sleeve 43), or both above and below horizontal seam44.

Lower band 45 extends through sleeve 43 and continues to extend aroundthe wearer's back in order to secure the garment to the wearer. Thelower flange 13 of the pad 7 is stitched to the lower region 19 of theouter fabric 8 and to the liner fabric 41 along horizontal seam 44. Thelower flange 13 of the pad is hidden from view within the lower sleeve43. Lower sleeve 43 extends laterally past the left and right edges ofthe lower flange 13 of the pad 7. The left and right sides 42, 44 of thelower sleeve 43 can be moved medially and laterally along the lower band45. This enables the wearer to widen or narrow the triangle assembly 3as desired, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The left side 38 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 is attached to theouter fabric 8 and to the liner fabric 41 via one or more left sideattachments. The right side 40 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 isattached to the outer fabric 8 and the liner fabric 41 via one or moreright side attachments. In some embodiments, the left and right sideattachments between the pad 7 and the fabrics 8, 41 extend downward froman upper end 47 of the pad 7. The left and right side attachments can,in some embodiments, extend along the left and right edges 37, 39 of thepad 7. The left and right side attachments can be formed by bonding,stitching, or any other method of attachment. In some embodiments, theupper region 9 of the pad 7 can be fully attached to the outer fabric 8and the liner fabric 41 (in the center of the upper region 9 of the padas well as at the right side 40 and the left side 38 of the pad) usingadhesives or bonding, for example.

The outer fabric 8 and liner fabric 41 continue to widen as they extenddownward toward lower sleeve 43. On the contrary, pad 7 reaches itswidest point 47 in the middle region 11. The right and left sideattachments between the pad 7 and the fabrics 8, 41 do not extend to themiddle region 11 of the pad 7. As such, the outer fabric 8 and the innerliner fabric 41 are freely movable along the lower band 45 that extendsthrough the lower sleeve 43. In contrast, the upper region 9 and thelower flange 13 of the pad are securely attached to the outer fabric 8and liner fabric 41 to prevent the pad 7 from slipping with respect tothe outer fabric 8, the liner fabric 41, or the lower band 45.

Methods of making triangle assemblies 3, 5 with adjustable levels ofcoverage are disclosed herein. The methods include providing an outerfabric panel 8 having an upper region 15 and a lower region 19. Themethods further include providing a pad 7 having an upper region 9 and alower flange 13. The lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8 iswider than the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 in a medial to lateraldirection. During construction of a triangle assembly, the upper region9 of the pad is at least partially attached to the upper region 15 ofthe outer fabric panel 8, and the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is atleast partially attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabricpanel 8. Some embodiments of the method include aligning a verticalcenter portion 23 of the pad 7 with a vertical center portion 21 of theouter fabric panel 8.

The provided outer fabric panel 8 can be formed by, for example, cuttingan approximately triangular panel from a larger fabric material. Theprovided pad 7 can be formed by molding processes, for example. Themethod can include molding the upper region 9, the middle region 11, andthe lower flange 13 the pad 7 as a single structure. In otherembodiments, the lower flange 13 is formed separately from the upper andmiddle regions 9, 11 of the pad, and then fixedly attached to the middleregion 11 of the pad using bonding, adhesives, thermal or chemicalprocesses, and/or stitching. Either way, the lower flange 13 of the pad7 is fixedly attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel8.

Some embodiments include stitching the lower flange 13 of the pad to thelower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8, for example, at horizontalseam 44. The lower boundary 29 of the middle region 11 of the pad 7 maybe stitched to the outer fabric panel 8, or a position above the loweredge 31 of the lower flange 13 may be stitched to the outer fabric. Insome embodiments, lower edge 31 of the lower flange 13 is stitched tothe outer fabric panel 8.

The methods also include creating a lower sleeve 43 that is at leastpartially defined by the outer fabric panel 8. Some embodiments includeextending a lower band 45 through the lower sleeve 43 of the left andright triangle assemblies 3, 5.

Some embodiments can include attaching a liner fabric panel 41 to theouter fabric panel 8. The liner fabric panel 41 can be formed by, forexample, cutting an approximately triangular panel from an existing,larger fabric. The methods can further include positioning the pad 7between the outer fabric panel 8 and the liner fabric panel 41. Theliner fabric panel 41 can be attached to the pad 7 at the upper region 9of the pad 7 as well as at the lower flange 13.

Some embodiments of the methods can include partially attaching a leftside 38 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 to a left side 49 of theupper region 15 of the outer fabric panel 8 and partially attaching aright side 40 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 to a right side 51 ofthe upper region 15 of the outer fabric panel 8. The middle region 11 ofthe pad 7 can be left unattached to the outer fabric panel 8.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theimplementation was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious implementations with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. An upper body garment comprising a left and right triangle assembly,each triangle assembly comprising: a pad having an upper region, amiddle region, and a lower flange that is thinner than the upper regionand the middle region in a front to back direction; an outer fabrichaving an upper region, a middle region, and a lower region; wherein theupper region of the pad is at least partially attached to the upperregion of the outer fabric, and the lower flange of the pad is at leastpartially attached to the lower region of the outer fabric; and whereinthe lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in amedial to lateral direction.
 2. The upper body garment of claim 1,wherein a vertical center portion of the pad is aligned with a verticalcenter portion of the outer fabric.
 3. The upper body garment of claim1, wherein the lower flange of the pad is fixedly attached to the middleregion of the pad.
 4. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein a lowerboundary of the middle region of the pad is a curve across the exteriorface of the pad, and the lower flange extends inferiorly from the curve.5. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the lower flange extendsinferiorly from the middle region of the pad at an angle of greater thanzero degrees.
 6. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the exteriorface of the pad is convex and comprises an apex.
 7. The upper bodygarment of claim 4, wherein the pad further comprises a left edge and aright edge, and the pad is thicker in a front to back direction at theapex than at the left edge of the pad or the and right edge of the pad.8. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the width of the lowerregion of the outer fabric is at least 25% greater than the width of thelower flange.
 9. The upper body garment of claim 8, wherein the surfacearea of an exterior face of the pad is smaller than the surface area ofan exterior face of the outer fabric.
 10. The upper body garment ofclaim 1, wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lowerregion of the outer fabric along a seam.
 11. The upper body garment ofclaim 1, wherein each of the left and right triangle assemblies comprisea lower sleeve at least partially defined by the outer fabric.
 12. Theupper body garment of claim 11, wherein the upper body garment furthercomprises a lower band extending through the lower sleeve of the leftand right triangle assemblies.
 13. The upper body garment of claim 11,wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lower sleevealong a seam.
 14. The upper body garment of claim 13, wherein the lowersleeve extends beyond the lower flange in both lateral directions. 15.The upper body garment of claim 11, wherein the lower sleeve is definedby the outer fabric and a liner fabric.
 16. The upper body garment ofclaim 1, further comprising a liner fabric attached to the outer fabric,wherein the pad is positioned between the outer fabric and the linerfabric.
 17. The upper body garment of claim 16, wherein the liner fabricis attached to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lowerflange.
 18. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein a left side ofthe upper region of the pad is partially attached to a left side of theupper region of the outer fabric at a left side attachment, and a rightside of the upper region of the pad is partially attached to a rightside of the upper region of the outer fabric at a right side attachment.19. The upper body garment of claim 18, wherein the left side attachmentextends downward from an upper end of the pad, and the right sideattachment extends downward from the upper end of the pad.
 20. The upperbody garment of claim 18, wherein the left edge along the middle regionof the pad is unattached to the outer fabric, and the right edge alongthe middle region of the pad is unattached to the outer fabric.
 21. Amethod of making an upper body garment comprising a left and a righttriangle assembly, the method of making each triangle assemblycomprising: providing a pad having an upper region and a lower flange;providing an outer fabric panel having an upper region and a lowerregion, wherein the lower region of the outer fabric is wider than thelower flange in a medial to lateral direction; at least partiallyattaching the upper region of the pad to the upper region of the outerfabric panel; and at least partially attaching the lower flange of thepad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel.
 22. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising aligning a vertical center portion of thepad with a vertical center portion of the outer fabric panel.
 23. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising fixedly attaching the lowerflange of the pad to the middle region of the pad.
 24. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising attaching the lower flange of the pad tothe lower region of the outer fabric panel along a seam.
 25. The methodof claim 21, further comprising creating a lower sleeve that is at leastpartially defined by the outer fabric panel.
 26. The method of claim 25,extending a lower band through the lower sleeve of the left and righttriangle assemblies.
 27. The method of claim 21, further comprisingattaching a liner fabric panel to the outer fabric panel and positioningthe pad between the outer fabric panel and the liner fabric panel. 28.The method of claim 27, further comprising attaching the liner fabricpanel to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange.29. The method of claim 21, further comprising partially attaching aleft side of the upper region of the pad to a left side of the upperregion of the outer fabric panel, and partially attaching a right sideof the upper region of the pad to a right side of the upper region ofthe outer fabric panel.
 30. The method of claim 29, further comprisingleaving the left side along the middle region of the pad unattached tothe outer fabric panel, and leaving the right side along the middleregion of the pad unattached to the outer fabric panel.